Simplifying the ASME – BPE Standard for Surface Roughness No.

10 71

SVF is a recognized leader in providing the pharmaceutical market with hygienic valves for a range of different
applications. A common requirement is to provide our valves with various levels of surface finish to meet design
specifications.

Surface finish is the nature of the surface as defined by three characteristics: lay, waviness and surface roughness.
Each manufacturing process produces a surface texture. The process is usually optimized to ensure that the resulting
surface finish is usable. If necessary, additional processes will be added to modify the finish, i.e. mechanical or
electro polishing

What is surface finish and how is it measured? Surface

finished can be measured in two ways: Contact and non-
contact methods. Contact method involves dragging a
measurement stylus across the material’s surface. These
instruments are called profilometers. Profilometers provide
the Ra (Roughness average) of the surface’s peaks and valleys.
This is usually measured in µin. The most common non-contact
methods is visual inspection with a borescope.
How a profilometer works

ASME BPE (American Society of Mechanical Engineers: Bioprocessing Equipment) calls out a Surface Designation
to indicate the required Ra for process contact surfaces. These surfaces are inside the valve flow path.

ASME also states that the surface finished

are examined through one or more of the
following procedures.

Visual examination (direct or

indirect with a borescope)
Liquid penetrant testing
Surface roughness measurement
device (profilometer)

All of the SVF high purity CleanFLOW valves are tested with a profilometer
for surface roughness as well as a visual inspection with a borescope to
ensure compliance with ASME BPE.

Visit www.asme.org for more information on the Surface Finish standards of equipment for the pharmaceutical
market.

18 January 2018 Tech Brief 1071 - ASME BPE Surface Roughness.docx

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